Aliyah Reveals Why She Spent 7 Years in WWE NXT

Former WWE star Aliyah is setting the record straight on her lengthy NXT run—and it wasn’t because the company forgot about her.

During an appearance on the Identity Crisis podcast, Aliyah (real name Nhooph Al-Areebi) opened up about spending seven years in WWE’s developmental system. While fans often mocked her for the extended stay, Aliyah made it clear that it was by choice—and it had everything to do with passion, not punishment.

“People are like, ‘Oh, you were in NXT for so long.’ And it’s like, guys, it got to a point where I could—I mean, I love it. I could do those drills in my sleep,” she explained. “They could try to blow me up a million different ways and have me take a million bumps. I could still nip up onto my feet and, like, you know, do all that.”

She then addressed the criticism that followed her online during that period.

“And it’s always the bots that want to say, ‘Oh, she was there for seven years.’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah, I was there for seven years because I loved it.’”

Rather than treating NXT like a stepping stone she was stuck on, Aliyah saw it as a place where she could evolve, train, and live out her dream daily. That mindset helped her endure the highs and lows of WWE’s system without letting negativity define her.

Aliyah’s comments provide rare insight into how some performers actually view their time in NXT—especially in an era where quick call-ups are often seen as the only path to success.

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